20-20 Vision

Teaching Outline:

I want to invite you to turn in your Bibles with me to . This is going to be a familiar story to most of you but I would like us to look at it and examine it from a different point of view tonight.

Introduction: Getting license renewed a few months back. I do not like looking in the little viewing station where they check your eyes. People with glasses usually have a hard time seeing clearly in these. They told me “Good Enough.” Going to the Eye Dr. this past Friday. Sometimes as you eyesight gradually changes you don’t really realize how bad it is.

Let’s read together tonight.

Let’s read together tonight.

Mark 8:22–26 NASB95

And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Tonight I would like for us to take a closer look at this passage. It is interesting the way the gospel of Mark is structured in that Mark gives us two separate accounts of Jesus healing blind men, (8:22-26 - this story; 10:46-52 - the story of Bartimaeus). In between these two accounts we find Jesus teaching his disciples and their own spiritual blindness sandwiched in the middle. It is obvious that Jesus is not only interested in our physical site, but also our spiritual site. This healing account is also unique because it is the only healing miracle that Jesus performs in two parts.

This healing account is also unique because it is the only healing miracle that Jesus performs in two parts.

This passage seems simple enough at first but there is so much going on under the surface that can be missed with just one quick reading. Of course in this passage Jesus heals physical blindness of a man who was brought to him. Scripture also treats blindness as a symbol of the human inability or refusal to realize the importance of God and the gospel. The restoration of sight can also be treated as a symbol of coming to faith.

Of course in this passage Jesus heals physical blindness of a man who was brought to him. Scripture also treats blindness as a symbol of the human inability or refusal to realize the importance of God and the gospel. The restoration of sight can also be treated as a symbol of coming to faith.

Before we begin it is important that we understand the context that this passage takes place in. If you glance a few verses back in you find where Jesus and his disciples had just feed 4,000 people. Jesus disciple’s got to experience this amazing miracle first hand. They got to participate in what God was doing and you would think would think that after witnessing such a miracle that the disciple’s understanding of who Jesus was and His mission would have been clarified, but this is not how things unfolded. After the feeding of the 4,000 Jesus faced a challenge for the Pharisees who demanded a sign to prove he was the Messiah. The disciples misunderstood Jesus got into an argument about not having bread to eat. Jesus rebukes them as he recounts the miracles they had just witnessed. The Pharisees and the disciples were suffering from spiritual blindness.

Sometimes it is easy for us too distracted and focused on our own lives, our own problems, and used to seeking after our own desires and needs that we miss what God is doing in and around us.

Jesus took him by his hand: (v. 22-23 a)

Have you even been turned around, lost, confused, and someone taken you buy the hand and lead you back.

Illustration: At a school as a young child I got into a crowd with lots of people and got turned around, and a teacher saw me and talk me by the hand and lead me back out of the crowd.

Sometimes we get turned around in life. We loose our way, forget where we are going and we need to place our hand in the hand of our Savior so he can lead us back home.

Notice: Jesus led this man away from the city. Away from the noise and the crowds. Away from the distractions.

Jesus placed his hand on him: (v. 23)

Jesus did not stop there, he placed his hand on him. Touch is a powerful thing. He reoriented this man and pointed him in the right direction.

Jesus toughed his eyes: (v. 25)

Jesus go to the source of the problem. Jesus heals physically and also heals spiritually.

Closing Illustration: (Tie Back In)